Grading and Reporting Handbook Elementary 2021-2022 - Judson ...
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Grading and Reporting Handbook
Elementary
2021-2022Revised August 29, 2021 to include new 1st Grade Skill-Based Report Card.
Table of Contents
Grading Timelines 4
General Information 5
Courses of Study/Advancement 5
Absences 5
Confidentiality Statement Regarding Student Grades 5
Grading Guidelines 6
Late Work 7
Make-Up Work for Absences 7
Extra Credit 8
Grading in Special Programs 8
Bilingual, Dual Language and English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs 8
Special Education Students 8
Talented and Gifted Program 8
Re-teaching/Re-test/Failing Assignments 9
Grading Symbols/Comments 10
10
Art, Music, and Physical Education Grading Scale 10
Citizenship (Conduct) Grading Scale 11
Report Card Comments 11
Reporting 12
Progress Reporting 12
Special Program Reporting 12
Parent Communication 12
2Parent Self-Serve 12
Conferences 12
Promotion and Retention 13
Standards for Mastery/Promotion 13
Kindergarten 13
Grade 1 13
Grades 2-5 13
Students with Disabilities 14
English Learners 14
Student Success Initiative 14
Retention Letter 14
Appendix A: Employee Acknowledgement Form 15
Appendix B: Grade 1 Retention Letter 16
Appendix C: Grades 2-5 Retention Letter 17
3*=
*EOB (End of Business Day) depends on your campus' schedule
Parent Self-Serve and Grades
Judson ISD utilizes a parent portal, Parent Self-Serve, which houses student official daily grades, including
progress reports and report cards. To obtain a Parent Self-Serve account visit our website at
https://www.judsonisd.org/parentselfserve. Please note that although Judson ISD’s Learning Management
System (Canvas) may provide certain grades, the official grades are posted in Parent Self-Serve.
4General Information
The purpose of this handbook is to delineate uniform grading and reporting guidelines for teachers and
administrators. The guidelines outlined in this handbook adhere to the requirements of the Texas
Education Code (TEC), the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), and Judson Independent School District
(JISD) policies and regulations.
Grading is the process by which teachers assess student learning and progress towards mastering the Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Reporting is the process by which teachers communicate
information to parents/guardians about student mastery of taught subject matter and skills.
Courses of Study/Advancement
JISD follows the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and Pre-K Guidelines approved by the
State Board of Education. Students are required to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to
read, write, compute, problem solve, think critically, apply technology, and communicate across all
subject areas.
Absences
Students must be in attendance for at least 90 percent of the days school is in session in order to receive
credit for the school year. If students do not meet this requirement, only an official attendance committee
can consider grade level advancement or credit reinstatement (EI Legal).
Confidentiality Statement Regarding Student Grades
Although teachers may choose to involve students and/or others in certain appropriate monitoring tasks
(e.g. checking if homework has been turned in), the responsibility for grading student classwork and
homework is bestowed solely upon the professional staff of the school
5Grading Guidelines
JISD will use progress reports generated through CLI Engage to reflect each student’s progress towards
mastery of the Pre-K guidelines and Kindergarten TEKS. Students in 1st grade will receive a skill-based
report card. The report cards for students in 2nd -5th grade reflect each student’s individual growth and
acquisition of the TEKS.
All grades recorded are to be the actual grade the student earned. There is no minimum grade (EIA Legal
& SB 2033). Final grades for a school year are to be maintained in the student’s cumulative permanent
record/transcript. Furthermore, student grades are to be held to the confidentiality requirements outlined in
the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the JISD Information Policy. Grades cannot
be posted, even by student ID number.
Teachers are to maintain students’ grades and progress on the District’s electronic grade book program.
Teacher grade books are auditable documents and are maintained digitally by network services. Grades
are to be updated on a weekly basis and must be entered by the following Monday at 4:30 PM.
In order to allow students every possible opportunity for demonstrating mastery of the curriculum for the
nine weeks, teachers will continue to provide new assignments for a grade until at least three days prior to
the end of the grading period.
Grading categories and weights are to be as follows:
Grading exceptions are to be made for the first week of school, district-wide assessments, and state testing
weeks. All assignments must be weighted on a 100-point scale. Furthermore, all Grading Categories must
be included in the average of final nine-week grade. Project grades may also be included.
Grades 2-5
Teachers are expected to record a minimum of two grades from either category below per week for
in each content area.
• Tests/Major Projects/Quizzes 40% Minimum of 2 per nine weeks*
• Daily Assignments: 60% Minimum of 1 per week in each content area
*The first test must be entered in the electronic grade book no later than the end of the 4th week of the nine-
week grading period.
Spelling
Spelling grades will be entered under the reading or writing content area.
Art/PE/Music
Teachers are expected to record a minimum of 1 grade per 3 weeks, with a total of at least 3 grades
per nine-week grading period.
Note: District diagnostic instruments, which include the Universal Screeners, Amplify/MClass, Imagine
Learning and the Quick Phonics Screener, are NOT to be taken for a grade.
However, district formative assessments (checkpoints and common assessments) may be taken for a
grade based on a campus-wide decision.
6Modifications and Accommodations
Teachers must provide all modifications and accommodations outlined in a student’s IEP, 504, and/or EL
Plans. Those accommodations and modifications are to be documented in the grade book in order to
reflect that the grade was achieved through their use. Teachers will utilize this opportunity to document
effectiveness of accommodations.
Participation grades
Participation grades may be given only for courses requiring this category (i.e. band, fine arts, speech, PE).
In this case, the participation grade will be recorded only as a daily assignment grade. Only one
participation grade may count for the minimum two grades per week requirement.
Teachers of Pass/Fail courses
The Pass/Fail determination will be made by the student information system and not the individual
teacher. Teacher are required to keep grades as in any other course. These courses will not be included in
the student’s transcript and will not be used in calculating the student’s GPA or class ranking.
Zero vs. Missing
In order to maintain accurate records, teachers will only use a “zero” for assignments which the students
turned in and earned the grade of zero. Teachers will use the “missing” classification for assignments not
turned in by a student. Both a “zero” and “missing” assignment will average as a zero into the student’s
average.
Conduct grades
Conduct grades are to be an evaluation of a student’s attitude and behavior. It should not change the grade
in the academic area. State law requires that academic grades are a reflection of relative content mastery.
Behaviors such as turning in work late, not writing name on paper, or other academic behavior concerns
should be reflected in the conduct grade, as with other concerns of this nature.
Changing Courses
When a student changes courses/teacher, it is the first teacher’s responsibility to provide the new teacher
with the student’s average up to the date of transfer. The only exception is if the first course is not directly
related to the student’s second course (e.g. biology to Spanish I).
Incomplete grades
Incomplete grades (defined as final averages for established grading periods) must be finalized within two
weeks of the end of the grading period in which the student received the incomplete. After that time,
students will receive a zero for all missed work, except in extenuating circumstances approved by the
building principal.
Late Work
Late work is defined as any assignment that is not submitted on its due date, with the exception of make-
up work for absences or approved school activities. Teachers are to enter an “M” into the electronic
gradebook for any assignment a student does not turn in on time. Late assignments will be accepted 3 days
from the assignment due date or at the end of the nine weeks, whichever is sooner. In case of extenuating
circumstances, it is the parent/guardian and/or student’s responsibility to inform the teacher and/or
appropriate administrator so that an exception to the rule may be considered. The teacher will have the
final authority to grant any exceptions.
Make-Up Work for Absences
Students shall be expected to make up assignments and tests after absences. Students shall receive a zero
for any assignment or test not made up within the allotted time, unless prior approval is given by the
principal or designee. Students will be given one day to make up work for each day they are absent
(excused or unexcused), with exceptions made due to severe or prolonged illness. Students will not
receive a grade penalty for makeup work from an absence due to suspension. Students will not receive
credit for makeup work when the absence is due to truancy, instead, students will receive a “missing” for
the assignment (EIAB Local).
7Extra Credit
Extra credit will be offered at the teacher’s discretion. If an extra credit assignment is offered, it must be
purposeful, reasonable, and applicable to the curricular objectives, and available for all students. Extra
credit assignments are to be completed at home, not during the school day. If a student receives an extra
credit assignment, that grade is to be averaged with the rest of the grades in the Daily Assignments
category. In addition, students are not to be penalized for not bringing in classroom supplies. There are two
ways teachers may offer extra credit to students:
Grading in Special Programs
Bilingual, Dual Language, and English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs All JISD
expectations apply to English Learners (ELs). In evaluating the progress of EL students, teachers
must recognize the critical processes and features of second language acquisition, including
cognitive, affective, and linguistic. Teachers must also make sure to provide students with
appropriate instruction to enable EL students to meet these expectations at each student’s level of
proficiency in English. In addition, teachers are responsible for ensuring that the English Language
Proficiency Standards (ELPS) are part of the planning process to ascertain that students have
adequate support. Word walls, anchor charts, and exemplars should include graphic representation.
Furthermore, EL students are not exempt from grades and should receive a grade based on the state’s
TEKS in all subjects for each nine-week grading period. All EL student’s grades need to reflect their
linguistic accommodations determined by the Language Proficiency Assessment
Committee (LPAC) and the instructional accommodations and modifications determined by the students’
Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee (ARDC). EL students should not have failing grades due
only to their limited English proficiency. Teachers should be aware of their students’ level of English
language proficiency and keep a list of language proficiency levels and required accommodations in data
binders.
Students with Disabilities
Students who receive special education services are expected to follow the TEKS as the basis for their
educational program. The Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee (ARDC) may recommend
instructional accommodations and content modifications. Grades for students with disabilities must be
based upon performance that demonstrates mastery of the TEKS through the use of ARDC recommended
accommodations and/or modifications. In addition, grades for students with disabilities may be reported
by the general education teacher, special education teacher, and/or a combination of both teachers as
determined by the ARDC. Joint or dual grading is an option that must be stated in the student’s IEP.
Talented and Gifted Program
Students participating in the JISD Talented and Gifted (TAG) program are not to be held accountable for
lessons/activities that occur in their homeroom while they are attending their TAG class. TAG students
may be required to complete homework assignments on the day they attend their TAG class if they have
been provided with adequate/necessary instruction before the assignment was given and if their classmates
were not given an opportunity to begin the assignment in their class. TAG students are not to be kept from
attending their TAG class in order to complete any assignment/activity required by their classroom teacher
(this does not include field trips or assemblies). Assignments for TAG students should involve more depth
and complexity of thought, not just an assignment with additional work or more assignments at the same
level of peers.
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8Re-teaching/Re-testing/Failing Assignments
Re-teaching shall be defined as another presentation of content, usually to provide an additional opportunity
for a student to learn. Re-teaching may vary from subject to subject or from class to class, and even from
student to student. It may be as simple as repeating the concept. If the student still does not understand the
concept, the teacher might use different materials or modalities to present the concept again. If the initial
instruction was primarily visual, the re-teaching activity might be manipulative. If the teacher used the
deduction approach initially, the re-teaching activity might use an inductive approach, thus allowing the
student to gain a new perspective on the task.
Re-teaching shall be an integral part of the lesson cycle and may occur in many different situations, such as
direct teaching as a teacher checks for understanding, guided practice as a teacher monitors, or independent
practice as students work individually or in cooperative learning groups.
Teachers shall plan for re-teaching at the same time they plan initial instruction, thereby ensuring that
alternative instructional strategies are immediately available when needed. If initial re-teaching efforts are
unsuccessful, then the time outside of class may be necessary to re-teach. If instructional efforts are
unsuccessful, further review of a student’s needs using universal screens, data history and student work
may be needed to intervene (RTI process).
Re-teaching to ensure that students master the material may include but shall not be limited to the following:
the teacher may require the student to attend a tutorial program or remedial classes (Co- curricular or
extracurricular activities shall not interfere with the requirement to attend these activities); the teacher may
assign additional work on a particular unit for the student to complete; or the teacher may work with small
groups during class time while other students work independently.
1. The teacher will provide re-teaching and re-testing during class time if 30% or more students in a
class fail to demonstrate at least 70% mastery of the TEKS on a major examination. A major
examination is considered an examination that counts towards 40% of a student’s grade. All
students will be given the opportunity for re-teach and to retest with the higher of the two grades
being recorded. A student’s refusal to re-test will be documented by the teacher.
2. When less than 30% of a class has failed any major examination, individual students must be
provided the opportunity to make-up or redo the assessment for which the student received a failing
grade. The teacher will provide an opportunity for re-teaching prior to retesting. A student in shall
receive no higher than a 70 if mastery is demonstrated.
3. A teacher will allow individual students to make-up or redo any assignments they have failed
within three days of the date the failing grade is entered in the electronic grade book or the end of
the nine weeks, whichever is sooner. The student will be required to participate in tutorials,
redo/revise the assignment, complete an alternate assignment or any other reasonable assignment
during the school day or virtually. A student shall receive no higher than a 70 if mastery is
demonstrated.
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9Grading Symbols/Comments
Grades 2-5 Grading Scale (As 1st grade is using a new skill-based report card for 2021-2022, and
teachers will be sharing report card updates with parents at meet the teacher night.)
Symbol JISD Standard
A Grades from 90% to 100%
B Grades from 80% to 89%
C Grades from 70% to 79%
F Grades 69% and below
I Incomplete
NG No grade: If a student has not been enrolled in school for a sufficient length of time or due to other
extenuating circumstances
*Note: Students are not to receive an Incomplete in the fourth nine weeks.
Art, Music, and Physical Education Grading Scale
Symbol JISD Standard Clarifying Statement
Indicates mastery of grade-level content above that normally
E expected of a student at the same instructional level.
Excellent Achievement
90%-100% Advanced Development
Indicates mastery of grade-level content normally expected for
S the student’s instructional level.
Satisfactory Achievement
80%-89% Developing as Expected
Student does not yet meet expectations for mastery of grade-level
N content in one or more areas. The teacher must include a
Achievement Needs Improvement comment that best describes the area of concern.
70%-79%
More Development Needed
Indicates failure to perform at the expected instructional level.
U The teacher must include a comment that best describes the area
Unsatisfactory Achievement
69% and below of concern. –More Development Needed
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10Citizenship (Conduct) Grading Scale
Symbol JISD Standard Clarifying Statement
Student always follows class rules, never disruptive in class,
E Excellent Conduct always tries their best, has a positive attitude in class, always
on task, and always follows grading expectations.
Student usually follows class rules, rarely disruptive in class,
S Satisfactory Conduct usually tries their best, usually has a positive attitude in class,
usually on task, and usually follows grading expectations.
Conduct Needs Student rarely follows class rules, is disruptive in class, rarely
N Improvement tries their best, rarely has a positive attitude in class, rarely on
task, and rarely follows grading expectations.
Student does not follow class rules, is disruptive in class, does
U Unsatisfactory Conduct not try their best, does not have a positive attitude in class, not
on task, and does not follow grading expectations.
• Conduct grades affect a student’s Honor Roll eligibility. In order to be listed on the Honor Roll,
students must have satisfactory or better grades (EID Local).
• Two office referrals that result in ISS, OSS, or detention will result in an automatic “N” for the
nine weeks grading period unless otherwise stated in the student’s BIP/504.
• Three office referrals resulting in ISS, OSS, or detention will result in an automatic “U” for the
nine weeks grading period unless otherwise stated in the student’s BIP/504.
Report Card Comments
Comment Comment
Code Comment Code Comment
1 Displays positive attitude 11 Excessive talking
2 Good work habits 12 Missing or incomplete work
3 Is an asset to our class 13 Tutorial required
4 Polite and respectful 14 Linguistic accommodations
5 Shows improvement 15 Parent conference
6 Absences affect learning 16 Frequent re-teaching required
7 Behavior interrupts learning 17 Grade reflects retesting
8 Disrespectful 18 Inconsistent effort
9 Excess absences 19 Needs to practice or study at home
10 Excessive tardies
11Grade Reporting
Progress Reports
The purpose of the progress report is to inform students, parents/guardians, and campus administrators
regarding progress in a subject, in conduct, or in both. The progress report reflects both satisfactory and
unsatisfactory student progress. Progress reports shall be issued for all students after the fourth week of
each nine-week grading period. Additional progress reports may be issued at the teacher’s discretion.
Report Cards
The purpose of the report card is to communicate with parents/guardians about the grade a student earned
for each subject area. Report cards provide information regarding academic progress as well as attendance
information. Report cards shall be issued every nine weeks at the elementary level on the Judson ISD Report
Card (Grades 1-5). Students in Pre-Kinder and Kindergarten will receive a report three times a year.
Special Program Reporting
Progress reporting for students with IEPs, 504s, and ELL Accommodations must be issued at the same
frequency as general education students. For students in special programs such as Bilingual, Dual, ESL,
504, TAG, Dyslexia, or Special Education whose grades fall below 70%, a meeting with the appropriate
committee (ARDC, LPAC, 504) shall be called to discuss the student’s progress and to create an
individual plan and/or make necessary adjustments to the student’s current plan to help the student be
successful.
Communication
The Judson ISD strongly values a parent/guardian’s role in a child’s education. It is through
communication that teachers can help parents stay involved. In addition, ongoing communication helps
parents stay informed about their child’s academic progress. Parent contact or attempt to contact parents
by phone, conference, or e-mail should be kept on file by the teacher. Records should include the date,
student name, parent name, phone number, and notes concerning the contents and results of the
conversation. For more information, contact your campus administrator.
Parent Self-Serve
Judson ISD provides parents with a means of staying up to date on their child’s progress, the JISD Parent
Self-Serve. Parent Self-Serve is a secure website that gives parents the opportunity to check grades,
view/download Progress Reports and Report Cards, monitor attendance, review discipline information, e-
mail teachers, register for school, and view state testing data. Since teachers are required to update student
grades weekly, parents always have an updated picture of their child’s academic progress.
Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences give teachers the opportunity to discuss student progress with parents and
allow parents to ask questions about their child’s learning. While this takes some time and effort, research
is clear on the importance of parental involvement to student success. Conference forms are to be used
and signed by both the parent and teacher. The parent is to be provided a copy of the conference form and
the teacher is to keep the original on record. Prekindergarten, kindergarten, and grade 1 teachers shall
have conferences with parents after at the end of the first nine-week grading period.
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14Promotion and Retention
Promotion and course credit shall be based on mastery of the curriculum. Expectations and standards
for promotion shall be established for each grade level, content area, and course. It shall be coordinated
with compensatory/accelerated services (EIE Local).
A student may be promoted only on the basis of academic achievement or demonstrated proficiency of
the subject matter of the course or grade level (Texas Education Code (TEC) 28.021(a)). In
determining promotion, the District shall consider:
1. The recommendation of the student’s teacher;
2. The student’s grade in each subject or course;
3. The student’s score on an assessment instrument administered under TEC 39.023(a), (b), or (l);
and
4. Any other necessary academic information, as determined by the District. (TEC 28.021(c))
Standards for Mastery/Promotion
In addition to the factors in law that must be considered for promotion, mastery shall be determined as
follows (EIE Local):
1. Course assignments and unit evaluation shall be used to determine student grades in a subject.
An average of 70 or higher shall be considered a passing grade.
2. Mastery of the skills necessary for success at the next level shall be validated by assessments
that may either be incorporated into unit or final examinations or may be administered
separately. Mastery of at least 70 percent of the TEKS shall be required.
Kindergarten
The State of Texas allows individual districts the discretion to establish a policy for retaining students in
kindergarten (19 TAC §75.195(j), 1992 Supplement). In JISD, retention policy begins in the first grade. If
a campus feels that retention would benefit a student in kindergarten, parental approval must be acquired
and documented. If a parent disagrees with retention, the campus is to place that student in first grade and
put a grade placement plan in place to help ensure the student is receiving the interventions necessary to
be successful.
Grade 1
Mastery of the curriculum in grade 1 shall be based on the student’s progress in the subject areas of
English language arts and mathematics. In addition to satisfactory performance in these areas, the teacher
shall determine that the student has mastered the skills necessary for success at the next level of
instruction (EIE Local).
Grades 2-5
In grades 2–5, promotion to the next grade level shall be based on an overall average of 70 on a scale of
100 based on grade-level standards or all subject areas and a grade of 70 or above in math and reading.
Reading and writing scores may be averaged if it benefits the student (EIE Local).
15
13Students with Disabilities
The ARD committee shall determine grade level placement, appropriate assessment, and acceleration
options, as established by Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students eligible for special
education services, as appropriate.
English Learners
In assessing English Learners’ proficiency for mastery of the essential knowledge and skills, teachers
shall be flexible in determining methods to allow the students to demonstrate the knowledge or
competency independent of their English language skills in the following ways:
1. Assessment in the primary language.
2. Assessment using ESL methodologies.
3. Assessment with multiple varied instruments.
Retention Letter
The JISD Retention Letters are designed to inform parents that their child is performing below minimum
standards and is at-risk for being retained. Letters will be generated by the campus after the second and
third nine weeks grading periods.
14
16Appendix A
JISD Expectations for Grading and Reporting of Student Progress
Employee Acknowledgement Form
Judson ISD Board Policy EIA (LOCAL) mandates that the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that
each campus or instructional leader adheres to the published guidelines for teachers to follow in
determining grades for students. These District guidelines shall ensure that grading reflects a student’s
relative mastery of an assignment and that a sufficient number of grades are taken to support the grade
average assigned. Guidelines for grading shall be clearly communicated to students and parents and made
available online via the District Grading Handbook. The Grading Handbook is updated yearly based on
recommendations from the Grading Handbook Committee.
The Judson ISD Elementary School Grading and Reporting Handbook is written to provide direction and
equity in the evaluation and communication of student academic performance. The information and
policies in the Handbook are subject to change, and I acknowledge that revisions may occur. All changes
will be communicated through official notices, and I understand that revised information may supersede,
modify, or eliminate existing guidelines. Only the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee has
the ability to adopt any revisions to the information in the Handbook.
I understand that I should consult my principal regarding any questions I have regarding the Grading
Handbook. I further understand that it is my professional responsibility to read and comply with the
policies and guidelines contained in the JISD Elementary School Grading and Reporting Handbook and
any revisions made to it during the academic year. I am aware that the Grading and Reporting Handbook
is available to me on-line at the district’s website located at www.judsonisd.org and on the Intranet under
Student Information -Grading Handbooks.
Employee’s Signature Date
Employee’s Printed Name Employee ID
Acknowledgement forms are to be signed in E-verify by the date set forth by the district.
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17Appendix B
16
18Appendix C
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